


A Few Times The DEO Let It Slide (and one time they didn't)

by intolauren



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-17
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2019-03-06 02:35:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13401627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/intolauren/pseuds/intolauren
Summary: Kara struggles with the collateral damage that being Supergirl brings upon National City until Lena's brilliant brain saves the day. (And the table. And the building.)





	A Few Times The DEO Let It Slide (and one time they didn't)

**Author's Note:**

> Someone left a comment on one of my other fics about how Kara probably visits everyone who accidentally gets hurt over the course of Supergirl's misadventures and little did they know that their comment would open a can of worms... 
> 
> Please let me know what you think when you're done! :)

The first few times, they let it slide. 

When Kara’s late for a 7am briefing at the DEO and Lena tells them she’s at the hospital visiting a teenage girl who got caught up in the commotion during Supergirl’s latest battle and broke both her legs, they all smile softly and shake their heads and mutter how _Kara_ that is. 

_That’s so Kara_ , has become a sentiment around the DEO over the years anyway. 

When Kara somehow manages to write a cheque courtesy of the DEO for $3,000 to cover the medical bills an old man ended up with after Supergirl threw an evil alien across the street, causing debris to fly up into the air and smash through the window of his townhouse, they all roll their eyes affectionately and pretend they haven’t noticed. 

_It’s just $3,000_ , Alex reasons, and they all agree. 

When Kara misses a sparring session with Mon-El because she’s flying all the way to Paris to fetch a young woman her favourite pastries from her favourite bakery now she’s housebound for three weeks due to injuries she sustained being in the wrong place at the wrong time as her car smashed right into Supergirl whilst she was in the middle of a fight, they all chuckle to themselves and take bets on what her excuse will be when she gets back. 

_It’s no big deal_ , they figure. J’onn can just spar with Mon-El anyway. 

But after awhile, it starts to become a problem. 

When Kara misses three DEO meetings in a row and then is late for work every single day for five days straight and then a collective amount of $50,000 is worked out to have been donated towards various medical bills, J’onn has almost had enough. 

Lena manages to talk him out of yelling at Kara for one more day, manages to let him give her some time to talk to Kara about it before he’s free to say whatever it is he needs to say to her.

Because Lena’s a diplomatic person and she can absolutely see why J’onn is angry. But she can also see why Kara feels responsible and just wants to help people in whatever way she can. 

She waits until it’s late and they’re in bed before she brings it up. 

“Kara? Can I talk to you about something?” Lena asks, running her fingers through Kara’s hair in the darkness of their bedroom. 

Kara hums contentedly as she traces her fingertips up and down Lena’s back. “Of course. Anything. What’s up?” 

Lena almost drops the topic before she’s even begun. Because she knows she can’t really approach it without making Kara mad or upset and their time together is so precious to her because they don’t get all that much of it given how hectic their working lives are, and she really doesn’t want to waste these moments by potentially having to argue with Kara. But she knows this is important, and she _really_ doesn’t want Kara to have to be yelled at. 

“Okay so you have _got_ to stop spending DEO money on people’s medical bills and you have _got_ to stop missing meetings and being late for work just because you’re trying to make up for things that were completely out of your control,” Lena says, because she figures it’s best just to get it all out in one go, and it’s best that it comes from her than anyone else. 

Kara stiffens in her arms and Lena can practically feel her trying to come up with an excuse. 

“I’m not- I didn’t- I haven’t-“ 

Lena chuckles softly. “I know you think you’re being discreet and that you’re a good liar and that nobody has noticed all the cheque stubs you leave in the trash can, but babe, everyone has noticed. You’re really not being as slick as you think you are.” 

Kara sighs and buries her head against Lena’s neck. “Damn it. I knew I should have laser eyed those cheque stubs…” she mutters. 

Lena smiles and kisses the top of her head softly. “Kara, it’s really sweet of you that you want to help these people, and nobody is mad at you for that specifically. But you need to be reasonable, okay? You can’t just abandon all of your other commitments all the time, you know? Because people are starting to just get pissed at you for it and J’onn keeps talking about how much he wants to kick your ass and this might be purely selfish of me but you have a really great ass and I personally don’t want anyone to kick it.” 

Kara laughs at that and the feel of her warm breath against Lena’s neck makes her shudder. 

“I’d like to see J’onn _try_ ,” Kara replies, and Lena smiles because _that’s her girl_. 

“The point is, Kara, is that he’s gonna yell at you and I don’t think anyone is gonna have your back about this because they all kind of feel the same way, and I wanted you to be prepared for that in case I’m not there and you don’t have anyone on your side. And also because I really can see where J’onn is coming from, you know? It’s kind of reckless of you and other people are, in his words, _having to pick up the slack_ , because you’re never there-“ 

“Hey! _Supergirl_ is _always_ there!” Kara argues. 

“Right, and nobody is saying she isn’t. But Supergirl isn’t the only one they care about. _Kara_ is pretty important to them too and _Kara_ has always been committed to her work and _Kara_ is the one they’re worried has lost herself in all of this,” Lena responds, calmly, because she really, really doesn’t want this to turn into a fight. 

Kara relents and sighs again, snuggling into Lena even more. 

“Fine. I’ll stop, I promise. Can we please not talk about this anymore?” She asks, and she sounds so soft and endearing and sorry and _so fucking cute_ that Lena can’t imagine a universe where she’d ever respond to that question in any other way than wrapping her arms tightly around Kara and letting herself drift off to sleep. 

 

It takes three days before Kara breaks her promise. And Lena can’t do anything but watch in anticipated horror as Kara arrives late, again, to the DEO and J’onn reaches the very end of his patience. 

She knows he’s angry when he full names her, because nobody ever full names Kara, _especially_ not using her Kryptonian name. 

“Kara Zor’El, this has _GOT_ to stop!” J’onn yells. “We are running out of money and you are always late and we are _all_ tired of picking up the slack!” 

Kara stops dead where she’s standing and her eyes drift from J’onn’s to Lena’s. Lena’s about to speak but J’onn stops her. “Don’t even think about it, Lena. You gave her the benefit of the doubt the other night and you’re no longer allowed to speak for her.” 

Lena’s taken aback by his tone, and under normal circumstances she’d stand up and refuse to be spoken to like that, especially by a man. But she doesn’t, because she knows J’onn isn’t angry at _her_ and he really does have a point. 

Kara watches Lena, and Lena can tell she’s clearly expecting her to say something, to argue. But she can’t. Lena tries to convey to Kara with her eyes that this isn’t her fight, before she shrugs apologetically and pretends to be working on something on her tablet. 

Lena can practically _feel_ Kara’s betrayal from across the room. 

“Don’t be angry at her,” J’onn says assertively. “She tried to warn you. You should be angry at yourself.” 

“I’m not angry at anyone right now apart from you!” Kara yells back. “I’m just trying to _help_ people, which is kind of exactly what we do here, and I-“ 

“But you’re spending money that isn’t _yours_ and wasting other people’s time!” J’onn interrupts. 

Lena hears Kara walk across the room towards him, except it’s less of a walk and more of a stomp and she half expects there to be feet sized holes in the floor when she looks up. 

Lena can’t even remember the last time Kara was this angry. 

“Do you even _care_ that those people I hurt might not have _ever_ been able to afford treatment if I hadn’t sent them money? Do you even _care_ that if I hadn’t visited some of them, then no one else would have? Do you even _care_ that I think those things are absolutely more important than missing a few meetings and spending a few thousand dollars?” 

“ _Fifty thousand dollars_ , Kara. And whether they can afford treatment isn’t your problem! You can’t save everyone!” 

“I’m not trying to _save_ anyone, J’onn! I’m trying to _help_ because I-“ 

“Because you feel responsible and just want to ease your guilt!” J’onn snaps, and Lena winces because she knows that’s going to hurt Kara. 

She also knows that J’onn doesn’t really mean it, that he’s just angry, but that Kara won’t see it that way. 

There’s a loud crunch when Kara’s fist goes through the table. She looks down, almost in confusion, as though she hasn't even realised what she’s done. 

Lena looks up at Kara and the defeat that’s written clear as anything on her face breaks Lena’s heart. 

She’s had it. 

“J’onn,” she says, calmly, standing up from her chair. “Is this really the best way to do this?” Lena asks, gesturing around the room at the several DEO employees who are all standing awkwardly, trying not to look in their direction. 

J’onn blinks, and Lena has no idea how a blink can look angry, but it does and she doesn’t even think then, she just crosses the room in less than two seconds and takes Kara’s hand. 

“We’re gonna go, and later, Kara will come back and the two of you can talk, _alone_ , and like adults instead of yelling at each other and saying hurtful things on purpose just to get a reaction, okay?” 

She speaks like it’s a question, but it isn’t, and even though Kara’s grip on her hand is painful because she’s so angry, Lena somehow manages to pull her away and out of the room. 

 

Hours later, when Kara has cried and yelled and punched through sixty-four metal beams in the basement of Lena’s building, Lena runs Kara a bath, lights some candles and tries to get her to relax. 

She sits behind Kara in the tub and washes her hair, spending extra time massaging the bubbles into her scalp, before rising them out and pulling Kara to her chest. 

They sit there for a long time, Lena holding onto Kara in the peaceful candlelight, until the water goes cold and Lena shivers even in Kara’s body heat, and before she even knows what’s happening, Kara has scooped her up and wrapped her in the warmest and fluffiest towel she can find. 

Lena smiles. “I’m supposed to be looking after you tonight,” she says, and Kara grins back. 

“You already have. It’s officially my turn now,” she replies, setting Lena down on the bed. “And thank you. For this afternoon. For letting me cry and yell and giving me things to punch. I really appreciate it.” 

Lena reaches for her hand. “Anytime.” 

Kara sits down on the bed next to Lena and turns to face her. “You don’t think J’onn was right, do you? About me only doing what I did because I felt guilty?”

“Kara, even J’onn doesn’t think he was right when he said that, I’m sure of it. He was just angry and he could see you weren’t even _trying_ to see things from his perspective-“ Kara pouts and tries to speak, but Lena presses a finger to her lips. “ _And_ so he just said whatever he needed to say to get you to listen. I don’t for a second believe he meant it. And I’m sure when the two of you talk later, he’ll apologise for it.” 

Kara kisses Lena’s fingertip softly before reaching up and taking her hand, interlacing their fingers. 

“I felt so humiliated, Lena. He yelled at me like I was a child in front of _everyone_ and it just wasn’t fair,” Kara says, her voice is so small and hesitant.

“It wasn’t. I agree. Which I why I said what I said and took you out of there. Because there’s a way to speak to people, even when you’re angry, and that wasn’t it. I hope I didn’t overstep my mark though, I want you to know that I absolutely think you can handle things yourself and don’t need me to step in and save you, okay?” Lena asks, because ever since that moment, that’s been bugging her. Even earlier, as she was pulling Kara away, she feared that Kara would snatch her hand back and yell at her for interfering. And Lena only fears it because she knows _she’d_ probably have reacted in that exact way. 

Kara squeezes her hand. “Of course not! I appreciate what you did for me! I’m not sure how much of that table, or that building in fact, would still be standing if you hadn’t pulled me away,” she chuckles, humourlessly. 

Lena smiles, relieved. “You _can_ see where J’onn is coming from though, right? I know you can because you wouldn’t be you if overwhelming empathy wasn’t one of your superpowers.” 

“I can. I know I can. But I just… I feel so responsible, Lena. Those people can’t help it if they get caught up in Supergirl’s messes, they’re just innocent people trying to go about their lives and they don’t ask for aliens to be thrown into them, or whatever else I accidentally end up doing that causes them harm. And I can’t just separate from that anymore. I lie awake thinking about all the people I might have hurt whilst I was trying to save someone else and it just- it makes me _hate_ myself, Lena. And I can’t just sit here and do nothing anymore.” 

Lena smiles despite herself, because this is the part of the conversation she’s been looking forward to. 

“I get that, Kara. You know I do. You know how hard I work to try and help all the people that my mother has hurt over the years, don’t you? So I understand how you’re feeling. And I know how frustrating and heartbreaking it is to admit to yourself that you simply cannot help all of them. Which is why I’ve been thinking. What if there actually was a way to help them? What if there was a way you could pay for medical bills or visit people in hospitals or send gifts to those that are injured without having to use DEO money or spread yourself too thin in the process?” Lena asks, and Kara’s sweet little face is the epitome of confusion and Lena almost tears up at the sight of it. 

“I don’t understand…” Kara says, and Lena smiles. 

“I want, with your permission and partnership, to start up a company, a kind of insurance company I guess, where we can cover the medical expenses of anyone who is unintentionally caught up in Supergirl stuff. We could also have a volunteer programme, where people can sign up and be selected to visit people in hospitals, where people can donate or send gifts or letters or even just exchange phone numbers, for those who might not otherwise have anyone to care for them. All courtesy of Supergirl, who they’d know would help personally if she had the time. Because let’s face it, Kara, I don’t think _any_ of these people are blaming you for what happened. _You’re_ the only one holding you accountable. But with this company, you wouldn’t have to hold yourself accountable anymore. Because the people who end up hurt would be taken care of and you could continue to save lives and show up everywhere else you have to be the way you always have. How does that sound?” 

Kara’s speechless, which doesn’t happen a lot. There’s a half smile on her face and Lena watches it grow until it reaches her eyes. She’s too busy being captivated by the shine of excitement in them to even notice Kara leaning over to kiss her. 

It’s a messy and awkward kiss, given that Kara is still smiling so hard that their lips don’t quite fit together, but it’s one of Lena’s favourite kisses ever. Because Kara’s _happy_ , and that’s all she ever wants. 

“Lena Luthor, you are my favourite person in the entire world,” Kara says as she pulls back, her blue eyes shining. 

Lena shrugs, because really, she’s almost annoyed at herself for not thinking of this sooner. 

“Don’t act all coy and humble on me now! You’re incredible! This is an incredible idea! I’m so excited to do this with you!” Kara says, and the genuine excitement Lena can practically feel running through her body is completely infectious, and it isn’t long before she too is grinning ear to ear. 

“You think?” Lena asks.

“I do! Of course I do!” 

“So is that a yes? To us being partners?” 

“Yes! Yes, of course!” Kara’s almost bouncing up and down on the bed and Lena laughs. 

“If I’d known I would get this reaction out of you, I’m sure my brain would have thought of this months ago,” she chuckles, knowing fine well she could watch Kara like this forever. 

Kara stops then and her excited grin falls into the most affectionate and soft smile Lena has ever seen. Lena shivers under Kara’s gaze as she strokes her thumb softly over her cheek. 

“I love you so much, Lena,” Kara says, and even though Lena’s heard it a million times or more, her heart still skips in her chest. 

Because she believes her. She always believes she’s loved when Kara’s the one saying it. 

“I love you too,” Lena responds, the way she always responds, the only way she knows how to respond. 

Kara smiles again, and then suddenly the softness is gone and the excitement is back and Kara asks, 

“So do we have a name for the company yet?” 

Lena laughs and finds herself almost blushing. “Okay, so you can tell me if you think this is really lame but I was thinking something like… SuperCare?” 

“But what about you? There’s nothing of you in that name?” 

“It’s not about me, Kara. This is your thing,” Lena argues. 

“But it’s basically _your_ idea! And it’s _your_ money! You should absolutely be in the name too!” 

“My name is already plastered all over this city. People are sick of it. I want this to be yours.” 

Kara thinks for a second, her smile twisting into a focused little pout. 

“So I really can’t tempt you with something like… SuperCorp Care?” She asks, and Lena doesn’t know if she’s serious or not because for once, she can’t fully read Kara’s expression. “As in Super from Supergirl and Corp from L Corp?” 

Lena chuckles softly. “Kara, that’s really sweet but I-“ 

“Good! So you like it? So you agree?” Kara interrupts, smiling again. 

And Lena knows she’s done for because Kara’s smiling and if Kara’s smiling, she’ll agree to pretty much anything. 

 

Statistically, SuperCorp Care helps a lot of people over the next decade or so. 

And the only times Kara is ever late to the DEO again, always seem to be when Lena is also a little late to work too. 

Nobody asks questions because they don’t need to. 

Soft smiles and flushed cheeks answer them all anyway.

**Author's Note:**

> Drop me a comment, please! Or a kudos. Or both if you want to. (Honestly, either/or means the world to me.)


End file.
